CHRISTIANSTED — Two gunmen who opened fire at the all-night “Down Town Shut Down” music festival last year have been arrested.
Daniel Manuel Ramos Jr., 23, and Ishmael Jean Christian Jr., 24, were each arrested and charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, third-degree assault, carrying of firearms openly or concealed, unauthorized possession of ammunition and first-degree reckless endangerment, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
VIPD mug shot of Ishmael Jean Christian Jr., 24, of St. Croix.
Bail for Ramos and Christian was set at $1 million each.
The case began at 4:03 a.m. on December 24, 2023, when shots rang out near the Christian “Shan” Hendricks Vegetable Market on Company Street while hundreds of music lovers were attending the Downtown Shut Down festival in Christiansted, according to the VIPD.
A man and a woman were shot and then taken by private vehicles to Luis Hospital for medical treatment, police said at the time.
“The gunshot victims both received serious injuries that required lifesaving surgical intervention,” VIPD spokeswoman Kishma Chichester said.
VIPD mug shot of Daniel Manuel Ramos Jr., 23, of St. Croix
During the investigation of this matter, detectives were able to obtain surveillance video that showed
when the two individuals opened fire at the event while many patrons were walking along Queen Street, according to Chichester.
As a result of the investigation, warrants were sought and obtained for Ramos and Christian for the crime of attempted murder and related charges, according to police.
On March 22, 2024, Ramos and Christian were each arrested at their respective homes without incident.
Each suspect attended an advice-of-rights hearing in Superior Court on March 25.
Ramos and Christian are attended a pre-trial detention hearing on March 27, when it was determined that no suitable third-party custodian was available for either suspect.
